Fifer

The occupation emerged during the early modern era, when contemporary military tactics called for the usage of martial music to function as signals to indicate changes in formation.

Often boys or teenagers too young to fight in regular combat roles, fifers were used to help infantry units to keep keep a march pace from the right of their formation in coordination with drummers positioned at the centre,[1] and they relayed orders in the form of sequences of musical signals.

Fifers were present in numerous wars of note, as European and American armies of the 18th and 19th centuries "depended on company fifers and drummers for communicating orders during battle, regulating camp formations and duties, and providing music for marching, ceremonies, and moral.

[4] Several fifers, as part of the fife and drum corps that accompanied British Captain Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet, were present at important events in Australian history, such as the reading of the Governor's Commission on 2 February 1788 at Sydney Cove.

The staffing dilemma lead to the creation of a "learner" fifer category, which were drawn from within the revolutionary ranks, rather than being externally recruited.